by Ivy Sinclair
He followed her to the back corner, and saw that the backdrop was a lush green valley with rolling swells that seemed to fade right into the bright blue sky in the background. On the floor, a picnic basket sat on top of the stereotypical red gingham tablecloth. Two flutes sat on top of the basket. The scene was elegant but down to earth all the same time.
“Clary loves The Sound of Music, remember?” Sarah said. “Mike proposed to her on a picnic. It’s a little cheesy, but I thought it would be the perfect representation of the start of their new life with each other.”
“Great idea,” Ben said. “I’m sure Clary will love it.”
Sarah clapped her hands together. “I’m glad you think so too. She can be so particular.”
“People are always amazed when they figure that out. She’s always been more high-maintenance than Jules,” Ben said absently.
“So what did you want to talk to me about?” Sarah asked, shifting the topic away from the elder Bell sister. Not surprisingly, she didn’t want to talk about Julia. Once Ben said his piece, he had a feeling that was something that would continue for quite a long time.
“Let’s sit,” Ben said, pointing at the two sitting chairs that Sarah had set-up in her pseudo waiting room. There was a tray sitting on a side table with a pitcher of iced tea and two glasses.
“That doesn’t sound good,” Sarah said with a short laugh that held no humor in it. “What’s going on, Ben? You’ve been acting strange the last few days.”
Ben sat down and thought about how to say what he wanted to say. “This isn’t going to happen, Sarah,” Ben said bluntly. When dealing with Sarah, it was best to be as direct as possible.
“What are you talking about? What isn’t going to happen?” Sarah seemed nonplussed by his declaration. She poured him a glass of tea and set it in front of him.
“Whatever you and the rest of the town think is going on between us,” Ben said. “I realize that I confused the issue with what happened between us that one time, but I thought you’d have sensed by now that isn’t going to happen again. I’m sorry if I’ve led you to believe that something else was going on here. That’s my fault.”
Sarah laughed. It wasn’t the reaction that he was expecting. “Oh, Ben. It’s okay. If you don’t want to go out with me, that’s fine. A girl can take a hint. I like you and I thought we had fun together.”
“We did have fun together,” Ben said. That much was true. He genuinely liked Sarah when he felt like she let her guard down. He always thought that hidden beneath her carefully coiffed and controlled image, she was a warm and caring person.
“Hopefully we can still be friends,” she said.
“We’ve always been friends,” he said. Something about her reaction felt off to him. After all the time she spent pursuing him, letting him off the hook easy was a complete about face.
“Not always,” she said, leaning back against the chair cushions. “Back in high school you hated me.”
“You were the most popular girl in high school,” Ben said, taking a sip of his tea. “I doubt you ever thought twice about me. I’d be surprised if you even knew my whole name.”
“That’s not true!” Sarah replied. “You, Julia, and Mike were always joined at the hip. Even when I tried to talk to you, you wouldn’t give me the time of day back then.”
“Not my recollection at all,” Ben said. “I would have remembered that.”
“Well, it was hard for any girl to compete for your attention with Julia around,” Sarah said, taking a small sip of her tea. “It’s funny how everyone in high school always thought that she would end up with Mike. He was the obvious choice after all, but I always rooted for you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ben said. Red flashing sirens went off in his mind. It didn’t take a leap of logic on her part to figure out that his firm declaration of their relationship status came on the heels of Julia’s arrival.
Sarah batted her eyelashes innocently. It was a look she had perfected over the years. “Less observant people didn’t see it, but I did. The way that you looked at her when she had no idea you were looking. The way that you always came to her defense whenever someone said something bad about her. You had it bad for her for so long it was almost painful to watch. I guess this is your shot, huh?”
Ben shifted in his seat. He had no idea that his interest in Julia had been so transparent over the years. Far too many people seemed to know about it, which made him wonder why it had never come up between him and Mike. Somehow, it had never affected their friendship. If Mike knew about that night at the lake though, would that change? It was something that Ben didn’t want to find out.
“Julia is my friend,” Ben said slowly. “It’s been nice to see her and catch up. It feels like old times with her around, despite the awkwardness of the situation.”
“Ben, I’m your friend,” Sarah said. She leaned forward and put her hand on his knee. Ben stared at it irrationally wondering if claws were going to descend. “As your friend, I just want you to be careful.”
“Careful?”
“Girls like Julia Bell don’t settle down. You are a great guy, and I’d hate to see you get your heart broken again. She’s a wild, restless spirit. I get how some guys might find that attractive, but that’s not a girl to get serious about.”
“I think it’s best if we don’t talk about Julia,” Ben said. “I appreciate your concern, but there’s nothing to tell there. We’re friends.”
“I don’t blame you for being intrigued by her,” Sarah said. “Just think about what I said, okay?”
He wanted to tell her to go to hell, but in a small town, he didn’t need the additional drama. Ben smiled and nodded before looking at his watch. “I need to go. I promised Maggie I’d help decorate the banquet room.”
As if on cue, he heard a car outside and moments later, Mike and Clary entered the barn. Clary’s lips were set in a thin line, and Mike looked beaten down. It was obvious that the two of them had been arguing. Ben thought that the sooner the wedding was over the better. The event was definitely taking its toll on everyone involved.
He shook Mike’s hand and gave Clary a quick squeeze. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Fine,” Clary snapped. It wasn’t a typical Clary response at all, and Ben caught Mike’s subtle shake of the head a moment too late. “Why does everyone keep asking me how I’m feeling?”
“I’m sorry, Clary. I won’t ask you anymore,” Ben said, trying to keep his tone light. “I’m off to the bar to finish with the decorations.”
“Julia said that she’d try to stop by,” Clary said. “She’s packing up the rest of my stuff for me.”
“Which is very considerate of her,” Mike said carefully. “Hey, Sarah.”
Sarah was right behind Ben, and she gave Mike a hug. Then she put her arm around Clary’s shoulders and drew her toward the back where she had the photo shoot set-up. Her soothing murmurs seemed to be just what Clary needed.
“She’s on edge,” Ben said in a low voice.
“You’re telling me,” Mike replied. “These pregnancy hormones are killer. One minute she’s laughing hysterically, and the next she’s weeping like somebody ran over a puppy. I cannot wait until tonight. I need to blow off some steam,” he said, shifting the topic.
“All festivities will be in full swing at nine,” Ben said. His plan to distract Mike included getting him more than a little tipsy during the rehearsal dinner. “I’ll see you guys at the church.”
“Can’t wait,” Mike said neutrally.
“Mike! We’re on a schedule here,” Clary’s voice cut through the quiet of the large room.
“Yes, coming.” Mike nodded before moving toward the women. His slumped shoulders and glum expression made it look as if he was on his way to his funeral.
Ben’s phone buzzed as he was climbing back into the Jeep. It was a number he didn’t recognize. “Hello?”
“What does one wear to a rehearsal dinner when
one is the maid of honor?” Julia’s voice warmed him.
“You’re asking the wrong guy. I’m always the best man, never the maid of honor,” Ben teased. “I think the general rule of thumb though is don’t upstage the bride.”
“So you’re saying no see through tops, plunging necklines, or barely there mini-skirts?” Julia asked.
“Those are things I hope you save for me later,” Ben said. He shifted in his seat thinking about Julia in any one of those outfits.
“Okay,” she said. He could hear the amusement in her voice. “I just packed the last box of Clary’s clothes. She should be all set to move into Mike’s place.”
“How about I pick you up for the rehearsal and then we can drop those boxes off at Mike’s on the way? It’ll be one less thing that Clary has to do, and we should score some brownie points because it isn’t even on the list.” Plus it would give Ben the chance to kiss her thoroughly before going into what was sure to be a long evening.
“Sure,” Julia said. There was a long pause then, and Ben wondered what she was thinking. “How weird is tonight going to be?”
Ben realized that she was feeling anxious about seeing everyone and what they thought about her. “It’s going to be a piece of cake. I’ll be there with you the whole time.”
“Thanks, Ben. I’ll see you later.”
“Bye.” Ben clicked the end button and stared at his phone.
Sarah’s words of warning ran through his mind. He had no hold on Julia, and there was a chance that once Sunday arrived, she would come to her senses and split town again. He had to make a decision. Either he tried to make sure that didn’t happen, or he had to find a way to protect his heart. It was a fine line, but in the end he knew that he didn’t want to let her go without a fight. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Julia opened the door to Ben’s smiling face as he lounged against the doorframe. She could see his blond curls were still damp from a recent shower. The powder blue color of his collared shirt accented the blue in his eyes. Paired with navy blue slacks and brown loafers, Julia thought he looked utterly delectable.
“You clean up pretty good,” she said with a grin.
“I could say the same,” he said, as he unabashedly looked her over from head to toe. His wicked smile told her that the black sleeveless baby doll dress she was wearing hit the mark. “No plunging necklines and the hem length seems rehearsal dinner appropriate.”
“Glad you approve,” she said, with a demure curtsey. “I can’t be getting on the bride’s bad side already. I know she’ll appreciate the help with the boxes. I’ve got them stacked right here.” She pointed to the pile of moving boxes next to the door.
“I’ll get those. I wouldn’t want you to get your dress dirty,” Ben said.
She grabbed her clutch off the side table and moved out of Ben’s way as he grabbed the box on top. She followed him out to his Jeep. In no time at all the boxes were in the back of the Jeep, and it was time to go.
“It’s been a pleasure watching you work, sir,” Julia said.
Ben opened the passenger door for her. He put both hands on her hips and gently lifted her so that she didn’t need to awkwardly struggle to get up into the Jeep in her heels. “I do what I can.”
She could smell his aftershave and couldn’t resist reaching out to run a fingertip across his cheek. It was smooth just like she expected it to be. “That’s nice. I like a clean shaven man.”
He moved his head so that his mouth pressed against her palm and he kissed it gently. She sighed. She didn’t want to go to the rehearsal dinner. She wanted to enjoy this simple moment when things didn’t feel complicated or hard.
Ben turned her hand over and kissed the top of it. “Let’s skip this whole thing. Do you think they’ll miss us?”
“The Best Man and the Maid of Honor?” Julia wrinkled her nose and sighed again, but this time for a completely different reason. “We’re good, but I don’t think we’re good enough to pull that one off.”
Ben set her hand onto her lap and closed the door. Moments later they were on their way. Julia couldn’t help but feel as if they were driving to their doom. Something about Clary had been nagging at her all day. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but the day didn’t feel as happy and joyous for her sister as she expected.
“Has Clary been acting strange to you?” she asked.
“My experience with pregnant women come solely from watching Maggie turn herself inside out, along with the rest of us, both times she was pregnant,” Ben said. “I’d say your sister is acting pretty normal all things considered.”
“Can I ask you a question then and you’ll give me an honest answer?” Julia couldn’t get what Ms. Bautner told her earlier in the day out of her head. If anyone would know if there was truth to the stories, it was Ben.
“Uh oh,” Ben said. “I remember how this one goes.”
“No,” Julia shook her head. “This isn’t about you. It’s about Mike. I’m sure it’s silly, but I need to ask someone I trust.” Ben cut a glance at her. She had his attention.
“Shoot.”
Julia took a deep breath. “Has he cheated on Clary?”
Ben groaned and wiped a hand across his face. “Seriously, Julia? You’re asking me this now, on the way to their wedding rehearsal?”
“I want to know,” she said. “If I was Clary, and I knew my fiancé cheated on me, that might make me wonder if I should go through with the wedding.”
“If you think that something is bothering Clary, then you should ask Clary,” Ben replied. He sighed. “You’re thinking about stirring up a whole pot of trouble, aren’t you?”
“You’re being evasive,” Julia said. She felt the anger rising in her chest. “Are you protecting him?”
“Look, on that topic, it’s none of my business,” Ben said. “The only thing that this conversation is going to do is rile you up right before one of the biggest days of your sister’s life. Then this is going to blow up in your face. Whatever you think you heard you should just let it go.”
“How can I ignore something like that?” Julia said, her voice raising a notch. “I mean, I wasn’t blind to Mike’s appreciation of other girls in high school, but he managed to keep it in his pants then. I would think he’d do the same with the woman he was going to marry.”
There was a long pause, and Julia saw that Ben’s grip on the wheel was turning his knuckles white.
“He’s my best friend, Jules,” Ben said. “He’s always been a solid friend to me. It’s not my place to stick my nose where it doesn’t belong, especially around matters that concern his relationship with Clary.”
“That’s a cop out,” Julia said. “You should do what’s right even if it means that someone’s feelings might get hurt.”
“Would you have wanted to know?” Ben asked.
“If Mike cheated on me? Of course, I would have wanted to know,” Julia said. Then it dawned on her. Ben hadn’t asked if she would want to know if she were in Clary’s place, he asked if she would have wanted to know because she had been in Clary’s place. “So you are saying that Mike cheated on me?”
“It’s all ancient history, even if he did,” Ben said.
Julia felt sick. Her earlier feelings of peace and warmth were forgotten. “You knew what he did when he was with me, and you let him do the same thing to my sister?”
Ben looked at her in alarm. “Wait a minute. You’re blaming me for what Mike did on his own? How is that fair?”
Julia scooted as far away from Ben as she could manage, which was difficult in the small space. “You were my friend. If you knew something was going on, you should have told me. My sister always looked up to you like a big brother. You should have told her too. She’s making decisions without all the facts, especially now that she’s pregnant.”
Mike stopped in front of a small house that Julia assumed was Mike’s. He got out of the Jeep without saying anything else. She jumped o
ut and followed after him.
“You withheld information,” she said, crossing her arms.
Ben swung the first box into his arms and strode past her. “I’m not going to get drawn into this now with you, Jules. You’ll have to let it go.”
“Like hell,” she said.
Ben moved the rest of the boxes into the screened in front porch without saying anything else. His stubbornness was driving her mad. With each pass, his jaw tightened. She had seen that look before; he was like an unlit powder keg. If she lit the match, he would blow.
Julia had no intention of letting the issue go, but she did acknowledge in her mind that Ben was right about one thing. She needed to calm down before they got to the rehearsal, or else there was a high degree of likelihood she would say or do something that she would regret later. She pulled herself unceremoniously back up into the Jeep and waited for Ben to be done.
Ben had always protected Mike, and it annoyed Julia to see that it was a trait he continued to display. Perfect Mike could stand to be taken down a peg or two. Julia began to plot how she could do it. Mike wasn’t going to get away with making fools of the Bell sisters if she had anything to say about it.
Ben rejoined her a short time later and started the Jeep. “Are you going to leave this alone? Please?” he asked.
“For now,” she replied. “But I want you to tell me what you know about everything. Then and now. All of it.”
“If you want to know something, then you need to go the source,” Ben said. “I’m not getting in the middle of this mess.”
Julia fumed. After everything that had happened between them, she thought that at least she could trust Ben to be honest with her. Now she discovered that he withheld something important from her five years ago, and she wasn’t quite sure how to process that. Both men in her life had betrayed her. If Ben wouldn’t tell her about that, what other information would he deliberately hide in some misplaced sense of loyalty to his best friend?